When you think of the ideal vacation to Italy, what comes to mind? Savoring the local cuisine and sampling the local wine? Visiting the historical sites from the Roman Empire? Maybe it’s seeing the architectural treasures, splendid art, and ornate churches with their religious artifacts. If so, all this and more are offered on this amazing Italy tour—with overnights in Rome, Lucca, Florence, Venice Island, and Assisi. Food and wine connoisseurs will enjoy the visit to Verrazzano Castle. Located on a hilltop in the Chianti region, you’ll learn how the famous Chianti wine is made. You’ll even get to sample some! History buffs will delight in seeing some of Italy’s ancient sights, including the Colosseum, completed in the 1st century AD. Art fans will enjoy seeing Michelangelo’s famous works, including the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling paintings in Rome and his celebrated David in Florence. If you’re interested in magnificent churches, you’ll enjoy St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome as well as St. Francis’ Basilica in Assisi, where St. Francis is buried. You’ll also get to visit the Orvieto Cathedral, a great example of gothic architecture in Italy, and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, one of the best examples of byzantine architecture. Globus has also arranged a special excursion to Cinque Terre, five small medieval villages on the Italian Riviera and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are just a few of the many highlights on this remarkable tour to Italy’s treasures. Food, wine, history, churches, art, an expert Tour Director and knowledgeable Local Guides—what more could you ask for in an Italy tour?

Guided walking tour, visit St. Clare’s Church and St. Francis’ Basilica

ORVIETO

Taste local pastries in historic Caffè Montanucci; visit the cathedralHeadsets throughout the tour

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:

Vatican City

Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco

City of Verona

Historic Centre of Florence

Historic Centre of Rome

Historic Centre of San Gimignano

Historic Centre of Siena

Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands

Venice and its Lagoon

Piazza del Duomo Pisa

Historic Centre of Rome - various properties Vatican City

Transportation:

Motorcoach; boat and train ride at Cinque Terre; private boat ride in Venice. Free Wi-Fi available on your motorcoach and in most hotel lobbies.

Meals

Meals & Itinerary

Full buffet breakfast daily; 5 three-course dinners with wine, including special welcome and farewell dinners in Rome and a special dinner in Verrazzano

Itinerary

Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.

Day 1 Arrive in Rome, Italy

Welcome to Rome! At 5 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, then leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants.

Dinner

Day 2 Rome

Globus’ unique guided sightseeing includes inside visits to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment, and monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA to admire Michelangelo’s Pietà. Then, drive to the Roman Forum and visit the amazing COLOSSEUM, where gladiators once fought. An optional walking tour with a Local Guide is available to further explore famous sites for those who wish to see it all.

Breakfast

Day 3 Rome–Lucca

Head north and arrive in medieval Lucca, completely surrounded by the original medieval wall, and enjoy a walk through the quaint medieval town center. An optional dinner at a local agriturismo farm is available.

Breakfast

Day 4 Lucca. Excursion To Cinque Terre & Pisa

Drive to La Spezia on the Mediterranean Coast and enjoy your excursion to CINQUE TERRE, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including a BOAT RIDE (departures April 3-October 23, weather permitting) with a Local Guide. The name dates back to the 15th century and is derived from five little medieval villages standing on stony spurs along five miles of the rocky coastline: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Then, a TRAIN RIDE returns you to La Spezia. Stop in Pisa and take the traditional picture pushing back the amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and no less than 12 feet out of the perpendicular, before returning to Lucca.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 5 Lucca–Siena–San Gimignano–Florence

A scenic day in Tuscany. This morning, visit Siena and walk through ancient narrow lanes to beautiful PIAZZA DEL CAMPO, theater of the biannual Palio, Siena’s spectacular medieval-style horse race. Continue to hilltop San Gimignano, the most picturesque of Italy’s perfectly preserved medieval towns. In the afternoon, drive along the Chianti Road leading north to Florence. Next is the highlight of the day: stop at splendid VERRAZZANO CASTLE to hear about the fine art of blending four types of grapes to obtain the famous Chianti. Enjoy a WINE TASTING and an early dinner with local specialties.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 6 Florence

During your walking tour with a Local Guide, visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS to see Michelangelo’s celebrated David. Admire the magnificent marble cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Time to explore this fascinating city so beautifully filmed in movies like Room with a View and Tea with Mussolini, and to browse through the shops. Leather goods and gold jewelry sold by the ounce are attractive buys. To make the most of your stay, join our optional excursions to the magnificent Uffizi Gallery and a dinner outing to try out the culinary delights of a fine Tuscan restaurant.

Breakfast

Day 7 Florence–Verona–Venice Island

Stop in Verona, setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Take pictures of Juliet’s balcony and rub the shining breast on her statue for good luck. Next, admire the Arena, an incredibly well-preserved pink marble Roman amphitheater. Built in the 1st century AD, it was the place where gladiators once fought. Today, it is the magical venue for world-famous opera performances. Arrive in Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT. Tonight is your chance to join an optional gondola ride and to sample the city’s fine restaurants.

Breakfast

Day 8 Venice Island

Enjoy morning sightseeing with your Local Guide. Visit ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the world-famous BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also watch a skilled GLASSBLOWER fashion delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. An optional boat ride is available to the picturesque island of Burano.

Breakfast

Day 9 Venice Island–Ravenna–Assisi

Follow the Adriatic coastline to Ravenna. Here, see the famous mosaics in the 6th-century BASILICA of ST. APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE. Next is peaceful Assisi. During your walking tour with a Local Guide, visit ST. CLARE’S CHURCH and ST. FRANCIS’ BASILICA, the hub of a religious order devoted to the ideals of humility, forgiveness, simplicity, and love for all God’s creatures. Hear about monastic life and admire the priceless frescoes adorning the walls of the church.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 10 Assisi–Orvieto–Rome

Following the Tiber Valley, reach Orvieto, perched high atop a volcanic rock. Here, you have a chance to taste local pastries at renowned Caffè Montanucci, a historic pasticceria for more than 100 years. Time to browse through tempting shops in the lanes off Piazza del Duomo, and to visit the fabulous gothic cathedral with its San Brizio Chapel. In the afternoon, return to Rome. This evening, a special farewell dinner with wine and opera entertainment awaits you at Tanagra restaurant.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 11 Rome

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

Tour Director

With Globus, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of your Tour Director. Averaging over a decade... we’d like you to meet a Tour Director, who is representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

ANNE PALMER PUCCINI

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

Years of Experience: 39

“As a veteran Tour Director, I find no other destination as stimulating and exhilarating as Italy. Here we have something for everyone--ancient ruins, delicious cuisine, breathtaking scenery, vibrant cities, amazing art, and more. Join me so you can absorb and understand the multi-faceted nature of this country without any of the difficulties, pitfalls, and time-wasting often encountered by individual travelers. I look forward to meeting and welcoming you to my beautiful country.”

Accommodations

Rome

Lucca

Florence

Venice

Assisi

Rome

Starhotels Michelangelo

Superior First-Class

Via Stazione S.Pietro,14Roma, Italy

Free Wifi

Modern hotel catering to business and leisure travelers is located a short walk to St Peter's Square; staff is multilingual.

Hotel Amenities

Bar/Lounge

Pool

Parking/Valet

Ice Machine

Restaurant On-Site

Free WiFi

Concierge desk

Business Center

Dry Cleaning

Elevator

Currency Exchange

Room Amenities

In-Room Safe

Window Opens

Voicemail

Room Service

Phone

Iron/Ironing Board

Hair Dryer

Mini-bar

Cable/Satellite

Air Conditioning

Television

Internet Access

Non-smoking Rooms

Desk

Rome

Della Conciliazione

First-Class

Via Borgo Pio 164Roma, Italy

Free Wifi

This elegant 67 room hotel is just a few minutes walk away from St. Peter's Basilica and offers modern comforts within the charming atmosphere of a historic building. A hearty breakfast buffet is served in the c hic breakfast room and drinks can be enjoyed at the lobby bar.

Florence

Ambasciatori

Modern hotel built in 1930 with well-appointed, tastefully decorated rooms, near the Metro, the Duomo, LaScala and shopping.

Hotel Amenities

Free WiFi

Concierge desk

Currency Exchange

Dry Cleaning

Elevator

Parking/Valet

Bar/Lounge

Business Center

Luggage Storage

Room Amenities

Mini-bar

Desk

Complimentary Newspaper

Cable/Satellite

Internet Access

Room Service

In-Room Safe

Complimentary Toiletries

Phone

Hair Dryer

Television

Air Conditioning

Non-smoking Rooms

Florence

Mediterraneo

First-Class

Lungarno Del Tempio, 44Florence, Italy

Free Wifi

Modern hotel situated on the banks of the river Arno, steps away from the city center - Duomo and Palazzo Pitti nearby.

Hotel Amenities

Gift Shop

Dry Cleaning

Elevator

Bar/Lounge

Business Center

Ice Machine

Parking/Valet

Currency Exchange

Restaurant On-Site

Concierge desk

Beauty Salon

Luggage Storage

Free WiFi

Room Amenities

In-Room Safe

Cable/Satellite

Room Service

Air Conditioning

Alarm Clock

Desk

Internet Access

Smoking Rooms

Mini-bar

Television

Non-smoking Rooms

Hair Dryer

Phone

Venice

Palazzo Selvadego

First-Class

San Marco 1224/b - 1235Venezia, Italy

Free Wifi

The Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal enjoys an unparalleled location in Venice overlooking the Grand Canal and next to Ca' Giustinian, the historical headquarters of the Venice Biennale. The hotel is also close to the true heart of the city, St. Mark's Square, and enjoys wonderful views of the Basilica della Salute and the Island of San Giorgio.

Hotel Amenities

Elevator

Concierge desk

Dry Cleaning

Free WiFi

Luggage Storage

Room Amenities

In-Room Safe

Non-smoking Rooms

Cable/Satellite

Phone

Alarm Clock

Desk

Mini-bar

Coffee Maker

Television

Air Conditioning

Smoking Rooms

Hair Dryer

Internet Access

Assisi

Giotto

First-Class

Via Fontebella 41Assisi, Italy

From its splendid position overlooking the Umbrian valley, for over a century, it has been a preferred destination for even the most exacting of travelers searching for art, elegance and a great tradition.

Hotel Amenities

Restaurant On-Site

Gift Shop

Currency Exchange

Concierge desk

Elevator

Luggage Storage

Bar/Lounge

Parking/Valet

Dry Cleaning

Ice Machine

Business Center

Room Amenities

Mini-bar

Room Service

In-Room Safe

Desk

Window Opens

Phone

Non-smoking Rooms

Air Conditioning

Hair Dryer

Internet Access

Alarm Clock

Climate Control

Cable/Satellite

Television

Optional Excursions

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased).

Rome

Roman Highlights

Join your Local Guide for a tailor-made itinerary featuring some of the citys authentic jewels. A life-time experience!

Price Range: $

Lucca

Tuscan Dinner

Enjoy a wonderful dinner with regional dishes prepared using the finest local ingredients.

Price Range: $$

Florence

Florentine Dinner

An evening you'll never forget. Find out first-hand that the best and the most delicate food and wines originate in Tuscany. Be sure to come with an appetite!

Price Range: $$

Highlights of Uffizi Gallery

Admire the world's greatest collection of Italian and Florentine art.

Price Range: $

Venice

Venetian Dinner

Experience an unforgettable evening in Venice.

Price Range: $$

Gondola

Enjoy a ride in a traditional gondola, gliding through centuries-old canals, under famous arched bridges, past lavish palaces and quaint piazzas.

Price Range: $

Lagoon Cruise and Meal in Burano

Appreciate the peaceful vistas of the Lagoon while you glide past the islands of Santa Elena, San Michele and the famous Lido.

Price Range: $$

Know Before You Go

These Know Before You Go travel tips are designed with you in mind, with helpful hints to help you prepare for and enjoy your escorted vacation. They are your guide to getting ready and contain general information on travel documentation, customs, and the country/countries you will be visiting, including budgeting, transportation, climate, languages, and much more. With Globus, you benefit from our experience.

* The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Globus).